Notice from ACC:                                                                                                     04 November 2016

Residents should be aware that the Whatcom County Planning and Development Services have promulgated new requirements for tree and vegetation trimming and removal. This change in requirements became effective as of October 22, 2016.

Below is an excerpt from these new regulations that affect all of us who live in the Lake Whatcom Watershed.

“On October 11, 2016, the Whatcom County Council adopted new regulations regarding stormwater management in Whatcom County. These regulations are designed to normalize the stormwater requirements, provide compliance with the County’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II Permit (Clean Water Act), recognize the impact of tree removal in Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, and Lake Padden watersheds, and capture stormwater impacts from large projects in the rural areas. These regulations went into effect on October 22, 2016.

A summary of the major changes to the stormwater code is described below. You can access the specific sections of code on our website at http://www.codepublishing.com/WA/WhatcomCounty/.

Changes in the Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, and Lake Padden watersheds include:

– A tree removal permit is required for the removal of any tree(s) (if the removal of the tree(s) is not associated with a development permit). You can get the Tree Removal Permit application at http://www.whatcomcounty.us/920/Applications-FormsLinks. If trees are to be removed as part of a development permit, tree removal information will be required with the applicable development permit.”

As of October 22, 2016 and from this date forward any significant tree removal requests presented to the ACC must be accompanied by an approved County Permit for said work. Additional information will be posted on the Sudden Valley Website and the Facebook page. Information will also be placed in the next editions of the SV Views and E-Blast.

See pertinent information in the ACC section under Resident Resources

Further information will be disseminated as it becomes available.